Wire-stretcher.



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PATENTED 00130, 1906. w.'ELL1s. f

WIRE STRBTCHBR.

ATTORNEYS nu' :wills rlvllrpo., illnnluml, n

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

wlnE-STRTCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1906.

v Application filed J111y220, 1906. Serial No. 327,011.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, WILLIE ELLIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Penfield, in the county of Champaign andState of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a Specification.

This invention is a wire-stretcher, particularly designed and adapted for stretching woven-wire fence fabric, and it embodies novel means for supportingv the device in convenient and effective position for applying the power necessary to operate the same and for clamping and straining all of the linewires of the fence simultaneously,

Further advantages of construction and operation will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 isv a top view thereof.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention, as shown, has a strain-bar 1 and a shorter bar 2, parallel to and spaced from the same. Between these bars is journaled a sprocket-wheel 3, having projections adapted to take and hold a chain 4 and also at one side a ratchet 15, engaged by a pawl 7, pivoted to the side of the bar 1. The wheel and sprocket are preferably made in one piece. The shaft of the wheel is provided with a crank-handle 5, whereby the wheel may be turned.

The front end of the bar l is provided with a clamp for engaging the corner or standing post 16 of the fence, said clamp consisting of a bent arm 17, loosely attached by a bolt 18 to the bar 1 and having a clamping-bolt 19 connecting said arm and bar near the `front end and provided with a hand-nut 20, by

which the arm and bar may be drawn toward each other and against opposite sides of the post 16.

At 10 are indicated a pair of clamping-bars for the fence-wires, which are held between said bars by bolts 10a, the bars being high enough to clamp all the line-wires, and so strain all at once.

At 6 is indicated a movable supportingpost for the rear end of the strain-bar 1. This post is held between the bars 1 and 2 by a olt 6a, which also affords means for attachment of the stay-chains 8, of which there are two, extending at an angle on opposite sides and secured to stakes 11 driven in the ground. At the foot of the post 6 isa pin 21,

which is driven in the ground to assist inholdi ing said post, which also has a series of boltholes 22 to receive the bolt 6g, whereby the strain-bar may be set at the proper heightto suit the height of the fence. Obviously the clamp at the front end of the bar engaging the fence-post may be set at any desired height accordingly. The chain 4 is connected to the clamping-bars 10 by a clevis or stirrup-bolt 9.

In operation the fence fabric is clamped between the bars 10 and the post 6 and strainbar set in position behind the corner or fence post. The chain is connected to the clamping-bars and engaged with the wheel, and by turning the crank the fence fabric is stretched to the desired extent and, being held by the pawl and ratchet, may be stapled to the fence-post. A powerful strain` is eifected, and the machine has the advantage that it cannot swing around the fence-post and loosen, such action being prevented by the post -6 and stay-chains 8. The vertical adjustment provided for the strain-bar allows the machine to be used on fences of any height.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I prefer to provide achain passing around the corner-post where the clamp-bar connects therewith in order to increase the security of connection.

It will also be noticed that the sprocketwheel is only provided with four teeth, this being for the purpose of rendering the turning of the said Wheel easier in the operation of the device.

As best shown in Fig. 2, spacing-tubes 23 may be provided between the bars 1 and 2 to prevent themfrom binding over the sprocketwheel and also to strengthen the device, as will be understood from said figure.

I claim- 1. A wire-fence stretcher comprising a pair of vertical clamping-bars for the fence-wires, a horizontal strain-bar having a clamp at its front end to engage the fence-post, a -support and stays for the rear end of the bar, and a windlass device supported on the strain-bar and connected to the clamping-bars.

2. A fence-wire stretcher comprising ahorizontal strain-bar having a clamp at its front end for the fence-post, a supporting-post for the rear end of the bar and on which said bar is vertically adjustable, a windlass device supported on the bar, and means to connect said device to the fence-wire.

3. A wire-fence stretcher comprising a pair of vertical clamping-bars and means to clamp IIO the fence-wires between the same, a strainbar having at its front end means to clamp the fence-post at any desired height7 a supporting-post for the rear end of the strainat its front end, a horizontal bar beside and parallel thereto, a supporting-post clamped between the rear ends of said bars, an upx 5 right bar having means to engage a series of fence-wires, and a winding-wheel and its crank, journaled between said horizontal bars and having a cable connected to the clamping-bar.

WILLIE ELLS. Witnesses:

GEO. W. PUTNAM, J. H. HENNEssY. 

